Lacrosse Headline

Friday March 30, 2012Gators Host Penn State in ALC Home Opener Sunday for "Beat Cancer with a Stick" game

No. 4
Florida (11-2, 1-0 ALC) will host No. 10 Penn State (8-2, 1-0 ALC) at 1 p.m. on
Sunday in an American Lacrosse Conference matchup. The Gators’ ALC home opener
will also be the “Beat Cancer with a Stick” game, put together by the National
Foundation for Cancer Research, which is meant to promote health education in
the community while raising funds to help eradicate cancer.

Head
Coach Amanda O’Leary, in her 17th season as a Division I women’s lacrosse
head coach, will be going for her 200th career victory on Sunday, currently
holding a 199-79 (.716) all-time record. O’Leary went 162-65 in 14 seasons at
Yale University and has led the Gators to a 37-14 record over their first thee
seasons. One of the most accomplished coaches in NCAA history, she ranks in the
top 10 among active Division I coaches in winning percentage and total wins.
Should the Gators win on Sunday, she would become the 12th women’s lacrosse
coach in NCAA history to earn 200 career Division I victories.

Last Time
Out: Freshmen Nicole Graziano (Mendham, N.J.), Nora Barry (Marcellus,
N.Y.) and Taylor McCord (Jacksonville, Fla.) combined for 17 points on
Wednesday night to lead the No. 4 Florida Gators to their highest goal total
and first-ever shutout, defeating Fresno State, 29-0. The 29-0 final score is
the most goals ever scored in a shutout victory in NCAA history and the
third-largest margin of victory.

Nicole
Graziano led the team with a career-high six goals, seven points and four draw
controls. Barry scored five goals, four ground balls and two draw controls, and
fellow-freshman Taylor McCord had a personal-best four goals and an assist. Gabi
Wiegand (Bay Shore, N.Y.) also had five points, scoring three goals and two
assists.

Ashley
Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) became the first Gator in school history to
record 200 career points on a goal late in the first half, and finished the
night with three goals and an assist. Caroline Chesterman (South Nyack,
N.Y.) hit the century mark in points, ending with a goal and a team-leading
three assists.

In addition
to the usual suspects, defenders Jamie Reeg (Atlantis, Fla.), Sam
Farrell (Millersville, Md.) and Kayla Stolins (Glen Arm, Md.) all
found the back of the net in the game, and Reeg also added the final assist of
the night.

The Gators
set several team records in the game, earning the most goals (29), most assists
(12) most points (41), most draw controls (24), and tied their record for
shots, outshooting the Bulldogs, 44-5. Florida was perfect through the
midfield, going 12-for-12 on clears, and caused eight of the Bulldogs’ 16
turnovers, while losing the ball just seven times. The Gators also committed
the fewest fouls ever, making just five.

UF tied its
record with 17 points in the first half, then tied its second-half record with
another 12. Florida scored the first 10 goals in the first 10 minutes,
including three goals in the fifth minute of the game.

The
Series: Florida and Penn State have faced each other twice in the past,
with the Gators coming out on top in both matchups. The Gators defeated the
Nittany Lions, 13-11, on Apr. 3, 2010, to claim their first-ever conference
victory. They then captured a 13-7 win on Apr. 2, 2011, en route to a perfect,
5-0, ALC season. The two teams have only ever faced in the regular season, having
never been pitted against each other in the ALC Tournament.

About the
Nittany Lions: Penn State, like Florida, is 1-0 in ALC play and has just
two losses, both of which came to nationally-ranked opponents. The Nittany
Lions come down to Florida after winning eight of their first 10 games, falling
only to No. 2 Maryland in a 6-16 tilt, and to No. 17 Loyola, 10-12, in double
overtime. The Nittany Lions picked up a quality 14-7 victory over No. 6
Virginia and defeated No. 8 Vanderbilt, 12-11, in overtime in their ALC opener.

As a team, Penn
State ranks 11th in the nation in scoring defense (8.60), 18th in scoring
margin (3.70), 22nd in points (168) and 19th in ground balls (17.20).

Penn State
is led by 2011 ALC Goalie of the Year Dana Cahill, who ranks eighth in the
nation in save percentage (.520), ninth in saves (91) and 13th in goals-against
average (8.54).